Study Notes on Gender and Health Lecture

Introduction to Gender and Health

• Topic of discussion: Gender and health

• Focus on life expectancy differences between genders in the United States.

Course Logistics and Mid-Semester Evaluation

• Importance of student feedback and evaluation of course structure.

• Acknowledgment of the feedback process.

  • Aim to create a successful learning environment.

  • Discusses common feedback themes:

  • Need to break up lecture format for better engagement.

  • Increase key points visibility on presentation slides.

  • Concerns about exam question structures.

  • Requests for practice exam questions and release of study guides.

• Reasons for not shortening class length:

  • Demand for shorter readings in context of increasing distractions in society.

  • The importance of maintaining academic rigor and skills development.

  • Reading long-form materials is essential for various professional fields.

Today's Lecture Details

• Primary focus: Health disparities, particularly life expectancy based on gender.

• Segment on experiences of transgender and nonbinary individuals at the lecture's conclusion.

Life Expectancy Gap Between Genders

• Men in the United States have a shorter life expectancy compared to women.

  • This might seem counterintuitive given general gender disparities in social and economic resources.

  • Historical data shows changing trends in life expectancy from 1790 to 2010.

  • Initial observations that men had longer life expectancies than women due to high maternal mortality rates in the 1800s mainly from childbirth-related complications.

  • Improvements in medical care have increased safety in childbirth.

  • Racial disparities noted: Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.

Historical Data on Life Expectancies

• Graph representation of life expectancy trends from 1790 to 2010:

  • Starting point: women expected to live shorter lives than men due to childbirth risks.

  • Civil War effects on male mortality rates, leading to shifts in life expectancy.

  • Trends from early to mid-1900s, women gradually lived longer than men, factors include:

  • Increased medical care such as penicillin availability.

  • Smoking habits where men were more likely to smoke heavily than women.

Factors Influencing Life Expectancy

Biological Factors

• Women's biological advantages:

  • More resilient immune systems compared to men but also face a higher rate of autoimmune diseases.

  • Estrogen levels contribute to lower heart disease risks in women compared to men.

Behavioral Factors

• Health behaviors comparisons:

  • Women generally engage in more health-protective behaviors (e.g., nutrition, doctor's visits).

  • Men are more likely to engage in risk-taking and health-harming behaviors (e.g., smoking, dangerous driving).

  • Relationship with cultural expectations:

  • Men’s stoicism affects their health-seeking behaviors.

  • Women face societal pressures leading them to maintain healthier lifestyles.

Structural Factors

• Social determinants affecting health outcomes:

  • Men’s higher occupational hazards and risk levels in dangerous occupations.

  • Broader cultural patterns and institutional support:

  • For instance, lack of resources for men’s mental health compared to women’s health resources.

Deaths of Despair

• Descriptions and implications of deaths of despair (i.e., suicide, overdose):

  • Men are four times more likely to die of suicide than women.

  • Social isolation identified as a significant factor lowering men's life expectancy.

  • Social connections can protect mental and physical health.

Gender Minority Health Perspectives

• Importance of data in understanding health outcomes for transgender and nonbinary individuals:

  • Lack of reliable statistics for life expectancy among these groups in the U.S.

  • Self-reported health metrics correlating with overall health predictivity examined.

  • Transgender and nonbinary individuals report poorer health than cisgender counterparts.

  • Factors affecting health outcomes include stigma, discrimination, and negative experiences in healthcare settings.

Conclusion and Key Takeaways

• Life expectancy disparities between genders are shaped by multiple social processes and biological factors.

• Importance of feedback loops in course structure and student engagement.

• Interconnectedness of cultural narratives and real-world health behaviors.

• Acknowledgment of various health experiences among gender minorities, informing future lectures and discussions on intersectionality.